Starting points · Cork
Arriving via Cork? You're 30 minutes from the southern start.
Flights, ferry from Roscoff (France) and Santander (Spain)
Cork is the natural southern gateway for the Wild Atlantic Way — Kinsale, the official WAW start, is a 30-minute drive. From here you work north along the coast: West Cork, the Beara, Kenmare, the Ring of Kerry, Dingle. Cork-to-Donegal is a proper 10-day trip if you want the lot. The Brittany Ferries route from Roscoff lands you straight onto the southern WAW with your own car.
The drive
30 minutes to Kinsale. 90 minutes to Bantry.
Route: R600 along the harbour, then west on the coast roads.
Skip Cork city for now (come back at the end if you have time). Pick up the car or roll off the ferry, drive straight to Kinsale for night one. The southern WAW starts there.
Sleep here night one
Kinsale
The official southern start of the Wild Atlantic Way. 30 minutes from the airport or ferry terminal. Forts, food, harbour town. The right place to begin.
Open the Kinsale guide
Then where
The next 48 hours
Clonakilty
An hour west. Inchydoney beach, Michael Collins' patch, black pudding country.
Skibbereen & Baltimore
Sailing town, ferries to Sherkin and Cape Clear. Where West Cork starts to feel remote.
Kenmare
The pivot point between West Cork and Kerry. Stone circle, food town, gateway to the Beara and Iveragh.
Honestly
Cork-to-Malin Head is the full Wild Atlantic Way and it's a 10-day trip minimum. If you've got less time, do Cork to Dingle and fly home from Shannon — that's the southern half done properly without the long drives north.
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